Is This Fin Rot??

[cuptow555]

So recently discovered about the PROPER way to care for a Betta. Bought him a nice 5 gallon tank, some more plants, a little cave, a water heater, and a filter! Also did the water bottle thing to the filter because I noticed it was way too strong for him.

Anyways, I noticed the tips of his fins looked a little... broken? I was looking through examples of fin rot and really couldn't tell. Does "Sushi" (that's our Betta's name LOL) look healthy? He's sure acting SO much happier and healthier with all his new luxury. But I just wanted to make sure.

Thanks in advance!

Also noticed his stomach looks a little bloated? I'm pretty sure it's not normally like that O_o. I did just feed him though... I'll keep an eye on him.

[cuptow555]

Oh GOD I just read on another post Bettafix can kill Bettas. ACK!!! I've given him 4 doses already. (1 dose a day as the bottle said). Should I change his water immediately or...? *facepalm*

[earthworm88]

Is there a reason why you are treating your Sushi Bettafix at the moment since you don't seem to think there is any issues with him.

From the photos you have included (thanks!), it does look like he has very minor fin rot on his anal fins and a little bit on his caudal fin (he may also be a tail biter, harder to tell in your case, as it's not obvious and photos of before and after would help to tell).

Yup, he definitely looks unhealthily bloated. I would suggest not feeding him for at least 3-4 days or until you see his bowel movement.

To help us help you better, if you could fill out the sticky regarding your care for your Sushi in your next reply, that would be helpful in figuring why he has fin rot and severe bloat.

Cheers!

[cuptow555]

Housing
What size is your tank? - 5.5 Gallons
What temperature is your tank? - Not sure, I didn't buy a thermometer because the heater said it automatically turns on and off to keep the water temperature "just right".
Does your tank have a filter? - Yes. Aqueon QuietFlow 10
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? - No.
Is your tank heated? - Yes
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? - He lives alone.

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? - BettaMin (Tropical Medley) or Auqeon Betta Food Pellets.
How often do you feed your betta fish? - Once a day

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? - Before I bought the 5.5 Gallon Tank, he was living in a gallon sized... vase thing? And I changed his water every few weeks. When it started to look cloudy. But after I started researching, I realized that was really stupid and got the whole new set up for him. So I'm going to start doing like a 30-40% water change every week.
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? - Before, I was doing 100% water change. Now since I have a filter I'm going to do 30-40% water change.
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? - Splendid Betta "Complete Water Conditioner"

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters? - No I have not.

Symptoms and Treatment
I didn't think anything was wrong with him until I started researching Betta's (came to this site etc) and realized his fins looked a little rougher than some of the other Bettas. And reading about Fin Rot, it seems like that might be what he has. So when I was at the pet store. I noticed the "BettaFix" and figured it couldn't hurt... I thought it was like vitamins or something O_o. Looks like I was terribly mistaken. I gave him 4 doses (once a day) and haven't given him anymore. I did do about a 50% water change after reading that the BettaFix could be bad.

How old is your fish (approximately)? - We've had him for about 5 months now.

[earthworm88]

Hi there,
I am glad you were able to upgrade your Sushi to a bigger tank
The fact that you don't test your water regularly, could I assume that your tank's cycle is not established? If you don't cycle your tank, then you need to change your water more frequently which may not be ideal for you, so you may want to consider cycling it? Otherwise, for uncycled tanks of that size, you probably need to do 100% water change weekly. I hope someone else who is experienced in this can give you better advice. Try PM OFL, Sakura, Myates etc., they are very experienced and helpful.

My experience is that crowntails are more vulnerable to water quality issue. So you have to make sure the ammonia/nitrites/nitrates levels are all within normal limits. It is ideal if you have your own test kit as well. Thermometer is very important as the heater's built-in thermometer may not be 100% accurately calibrated to the surrounding, so having your own will help to confirm what you have set is what is giving out.

If I were you, I would put him in a small container for aquarium salt treatment and float this container in his tank to maintain the same temp. 1 tsp of aquarium salt per gallon. So basically pre-mix 1 tsp of salt in a 1 gallon clean jug, add your conditioner, then pour into the container. Leave your Sushi in the container and change the water completely every 24 hours for the next 10 days. During this time, continue to monitor for worsening or improving of his fin rot as the treatment plan may need to be modified.

Oh...you said feed him once a day, how much do you feed him?